indirectly
Americanadverb
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in a roundabout way; not by the shortest or straightest path.
Since I had time to spare I took a bus that went a bit indirectly to my destination, and saw places on the way that I never knew existed.
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by a connection that is not immediate.
We all pay into the federal tax system indirectly when we purchase goods from companies that pay taxes.
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in a way that is veiled or not straightforward; obliquely.
I use poetic language to speak indirectly about those things that seem to slip from our grasp as soon as we name them.
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deviously or covertly.
The ad comes from a group indirectly funded by the cult and calling itself by another name.
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Grammar. as indirect discourse; not as an actual quotation.
If I’m reporting the person’s speech indirectly, I’d speak about them in the third person—using “she,” “he,” or “they.”
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of indirectly
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Additionally, CNN reported, it will be “financed with the help of sovereign wealth funds from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Abu Dhabi that will indirectly own just under a 50-percent equity stake in the merged Paramount–WBD.”
From Salon ● Sep. 21, 2026
Running a business, either directly or indirectly, would breach the terms of Hall's bankruptcy order and constitute a criminal offence.
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026
However, it also noted that periods of heavy rain or drought could indirectly affect fault zones, pointing to a study that suggested that rates of micro-quakes may undergo small variations related to rainfall patterns.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026
And record-breaking prices for diesel, the fuel that powers commercial shipping, will indirectly contribute to higher prices in the grocery-store checkout line and elsewhere.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026
It was the first hint of praise I’d received, however indirectly, from anyone at Sing Sing.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
